Coffee Shops
by forbiddenquill
Summary: Karma goes to Starbucks because of the new blonde barista who gives out her orders and calls her honey. Amy goes to Starbucks because of the cute customer who orders the same drinks and sings songs under her breath. based on queerkarmy and heyraudenfelds Coffee Shop AU


**KARMA**

"We've got a new barista today," Shane said as Karma stepped in front of him. Starbucks was noisy as usual, complete with the sounds of coffee grinding and the murmur of customers. She could smell the sweet scent of the place and she inhaled it greedily, as if she was somebody who hadn't gotten a taste of fresh air in a long while. Starbucks had become her place to escape to, especially when the stress of college life sometimes became too much for her. Shane Harvey was always a lovely sight to see with his carefully gelled hair and dark eyes. He worked at Starbucks because he had too much time in his hands and he wanted to meet other guys. He and Karma had been friends since high school.

"Really?" Karma said, her mind drifting from the conversation. She was thinking about a song she was starting to stitch together, a song about crap she shouldn't even be thinking about.

"Yeah, her name's Amy," Shane said as he started writing down her order.

Karma subconsciously glanced at the other baristas lining up the counters. She didn't see anybody new.

"I'll get someone to serve at your table," Shane told her, smiling ever so slightly, as if he knew a secret she didn't. Karma was too stuck in her head to notice. She moved out of the queue and walked to her table, right by the glass windows. She put down her bag and pulled out her notebook. Before she knew it, she was humming under her breath already, putting lyrics where the tone matched the words. She was writing in the paper, her handwriting sloppy but she didn't care. She was already starting to like the song. It just clicked inside her head the moment she woke up and she was now fueling it.

It wasn't melancholic but it held the traces of unrequited love, like loving someone who didn't love you back. Humming the song under her breath made her feel like somebody had clenched her heart in their fist. She was already breathless by the time she had worked on two verses. Putting down her pen, she cracked her knuckles and looked up when somebody passed by while holding the thin mint frappuchino she had ordered.

When her eyes met green ones, she felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Here's your order," the new barista said, setting down frappuchino on her table.

Karma dropped her gaze to the table, suddenly feeling as if a fire had started in her face. She mumbled a 'thank-you' and the barista lingered for a second longer than necessary before moving on. Once Karma was sure she had gone, she ran her fingers through her auburn hair and let out a ragged sigh. She bit her lower lip and then glanced over her shoulder to look at the new barista again.

_What was her name? Ana? Ariel? No. Amy. _Amy. Right. Shane said it was Amy. Damn. Karma hadn't realized a barista could look so cute. She stared hard at her, almost as if she was going to memorize every inch of this new person. Amy had blonde hair which curled against her shoulders and hid her ears. It parted in the middle, Karma noticed. She could also see that the other girl's eyes were a pale green. She was tall as well with an apron wrapped around her waist. Karma found herself eyeing her long legs before having to shake herself out of her daze. _Crap. Crap. Shit. _She's a girl. Karma couldn't be crushing on a girl.

_Hey, there's always a lesbian phase in every girl's life_, she told herself relentlessly. She sipped her drink, tapping her pen against the paper. _It's normal,_ she kept telling the straight girl inside her head every time her eyes darted to the side, trying to catch another glimpse of Amy. Her face was still burning. She couldn't even concentrate on the words she had written minutes ago.

Little did she know, Amy couldn't take her eyes off her too.

**AMY **

"Who's that?" Amy asked Shane the moment she passed by the counter.

Shane looked up from his phone. His gaze followed Amy's and then he grinned wickedly at her.

"I knew you'd ask sooner or later," he said, winking.

Amy scowled. She hated the fact Shane knew that she was vagatarian—which is how her stepsister always kindly put in. He said that he knew it the moment she walked through the door on her first day. His gay radar had been tingling by then and he immediately latched onto her arm like a leech. Amy hadn't been able to shake him off.

"That's Karma Ashcroft," Shane answered when Amy continued to glare at him. He gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling and then added, "We were friends back in high school but first, I have to warn you. She's not gay."

"I wasn't asking if she was straight," Amy angrily said. She could feel her cheeks burning. "I just wanted to know who she was."

Shane shrugged noncommittally. "It was a warning, okay?

"Sometimes, I wonder why I even talk to you," Amy muttered.

"I'm the person who makes sure you don't make a fool of yourself, dear," Shane said, gently placing his hand on her arm and smiling crookedly. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

Amy shook off his hand and walked away. She tried to stop herself from glancing at the girl named Karma every now and then. She did her job, wiping off tables and throwing away cups but there was a nagging voice inside her head and she realized it was Shane, repeating his own words: _She's not gay._ She could feel the disappointment lingering in her bones. She thought that Karma was really pretty with her auburn hair, chubby cheeks and bright eyes and the way she dressed, almost as if she wanted somebody to look at her. It had worked. Amy couldn't stop looking at her.

Karma Ashcroft. She had the kind of name that had a certain ring to it, like it was name that couldn't easily be forgotten. Amy thought it was amusing somebody would name their daughter Karma but she found herself thanking that parent. Karma was unique. Amy was plain.

She was passing by Karma's table way too often now, willing herself to talk to her every time. Her heart beat would accelerate when she heard the other girl humming. Karma seemed to be singing a song and Amy would strain her ears to catch the tune. She felt exhilarated, almost as if she had been running and was now catching her breath. She felt that way every time she looked at Karma.

An hour later, Karma stood up, put away her notebook and slung her bag over her shoulder. Amy suddenly felt panicked. She was going to leave? Somehow, Amy wasn't ready with the notion that Karma was just passing by and would probably never come back tomorrow or the day after. She watched with a heavy heart as the other girl approached Shane, said something to him and laughed heartily. Chest twisting in jealously, Amy forced herself to head back to work even though she was still acutely aware of Karma's presence.

Karma strutted to the front door, head held high and Amy stopped whatever she was doing just so that she could look. It was like an invisible force making sure that when Karma Ashcroft did walk out of her life, Amy would be watching. There was a rather painful ache inside her chest now, making her almost wish that her heart would just stop beating so that the ache would fade.

But before Karma could disappear forever, she twisted her neck around and met Amy's unfaltering gaze.

That, was like a punch to the gut.

**KARMA**

Karma's face was burning.

_Holy crap. Was she staring at me? Like, what the hell just happened? _There wasn't anything coherent that was forming in her head. A tingling sensation had started in her stomach and was now spreading throughout her entire body. She walked fast and hard, as if she had to get to somewhere but in reality, all she was doing was making sure that there was distance between her and Starbucks. Her knees felt weak but she kept walking on, her breathing getting harsher by the minute. Passersby gave her a looks as she hurried past them. Where was she going anyway? _Home_, Karma thought helplessly, _I have to get home_.

She hailed a cab and when she was safely sitting in the backseat, tried to pull herself together. Realizing that Amy had been watching her leave made her feel as if all the breath had gone out of her. She tried to think about the song she had been making but it was like the music had gone and all that she had left was a jumble of words and lyrics that didn't make sense without the tune. As the cab lazily drove onward, Karma gazed outside and tried to grasp at what was left of her song.

And yet, her thoughts strayed back to the girl's green eyes. Her stare had been piercing and Karma had nearly stumbled on the sidewalk. Thankfully, she took whatever was left of her dignity and walked off hurriedly. An ache was starting in her chest and she wondered, _why on earth am I feeling like this?_ Amy was just the cute barista she had seen, the girl who served her a drink and didn't say anything about her day. It wasn't as if they knew each other. Ugh. Karma shook her head and tried to stop thinking.

By the time she got to her apartment, night had already fallen. She paid the driver and got out of the cab. The night was freezing and she found herself wishing that she had a jacket. Her apartment wasn't anything fancy but she liked it well enough. It was home for her. She lived alone though, so she spent her nights watching movies on Netflix and pretending that the silence didn't creep her out. She walked three flights of stairs, shoved her key into the key hole and slammed the door on itself.

The silence began.

**AMY**

"You should really stop staring at girl's asses," Shane said when they were out of the café. He locked the front door and tucked the key into his pocket.

"Asshat," Amy murmured, adjusting her coat. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans and glared hotly at Shane who was laughing loudly. The night was chilly and brought goose bumps along her arms. She looked up at the sky and saw the moon shining brightly with the stars. She thought they were beautiful.

Shane nudged her with his fist. "Come on, best friend, we have to get going. You wouldn't want anybody raping this fine piece of ass right?"

"Aw, thanks for your concern, asshole," Amy said sarcastically.

Shane grimaced. They started walking forward. The streets were all empty save for a few beggars and some teenagers staggering into the night, yelling about booze. All the streetlights were flickering and Amy was reminded of horror stories that had happened when a guy and a girl were walking alone in an empty dark night. Shane was telling a tale about a guy he _swore _was flirting with him and Amy found herself half-listening. She kept thinking about Karma Ashcroft, the girl who liked thin mint frappuchino and who wrote songs in Starbucks. The girl with the auburn hair and bright eyes. The girl she was probably never going to see again.

Shane snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Earth to Amy Raudenfeld," he said, scowling.

Amy blinked. Shane had stopped walking.

"Right, what is it?" she mumbled, feeling her cheeks burn red.

"It's okay if you won't listen to me," Shane said, rolling his eyes, "but you should at least tell me what's gotten into your head. You look like you were thinking about the secrets of the universe."

"I was," Amy said, trying to laugh, "I was thinking about the reason why Pluto isn't a planet anymore."

"Because," Shane said, scoffing ever so slightly as he took her arm again, "Pluto sucks."

**KARMA**

Karma put down her pen and gazed intently at the TV screen. She couldn't write and she couldn't even focus on the show. No matter how much she tried to push the sight of green eyes into the back of her head, it just kept coming back, like an image that couldn't be burned away no matter how many lighters she used. She rolled around in her bed, staring at the ceiling then at the window and then back at the TV screen again. She couldn't concentrate. She felt as if something was clutching at her heart, making it harder to breathe every second. She wanted so badly to breathe right again.

The boredom soon got through her and she realized that she wanted to talk to someone pretty badly.

Shane Harvey was the first person she thought of.

"Hello? Proudest gay in the planet speaking," Shane answered, sounding light and funny. Great. Light and funny was what she really needed at the moment.

"It's me," Karma said.

"Yeah, I know. I can read the Caller ID."

"Shut up." Karma laughed. Shane was always a sarcastic bastard.

"What do you want, girlfriend?"

Karma rolled onto her side and stared out the window. The image of the blonde barista resurfaced again and she felt that yawning pit of ache inside her chest once more, like it was a bruise that would never fade. Shane was waiting, she knew but she needed time to think. She needed time to form her words correctly. She didn't need him to know that she was crushing on a girl; his endless chatter would be nonstop.

"Karma? God, what is up with all these girls—?"

"I need advice," Karma blurted out. Good. She didn't sound totally desperate, maybe a bit breathless but that was normal when it came to her. She could hear Shane mulling her words and she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the questions and the gushing and the normal typical Shane behavior.

"Okay," Shane stretched the word slowly. Karma knew he had his attention.

Propping up her chin on her elbow, she said, "What happens when you think about someone and you feel as if somebody's punched you in the stomach? Or when you feel like there's a void inside your chest when you think about them? Or when you think about their eyes and your heart suddenly clenches on itself? God, Shane, I don't know what's going on but I feel like I can't breathe! Is that normal? And I swear to God, I'm not talking about Liam Booker. I'm talking about—" Crap. Too much words. Karma quickly shut her mouth which led to her biting her tongue. Wincing in pain, she listened to the silence between her and Shane.

Finally, "You've got it bad, girl," he said.

"Really?" Karma whined. The ache was spreading now until she couldn't even move her fingers without thinking about blonde hair and green eyes. "Is it _that_ bad?"

"Yes," Shane told her firmly, "If you feel like dying every time you think about someone, then it means you're so attracted to them that the pain doesn't stop until you're with them. Tell me, girl. Who's the lucky guy?"

Karma was about to say Amy's name but she stopped herself. _Say her name and the fantasy that you're in love with a girl will spread. Say her name and Shane will definitely tell her. Say her name and everything could go to hell. _"I can't tell you," Karma said, laughing to hide how panicked she was inside, "It's my little secret."

"Aw," Shane said, sounding like himself again, "You know how bad you are with secrets, Karma."

"That's why I'm not going to tell you," she said nonchalantly.

"I'm wounded, Ashcroft," Shane stated, scoffing.

There was another silence, one that pulled at Karma's insides. She rolled over again until she was lying on her back, staring at the bleak ceiling.

"Hey, Shane?" she mumbled, "Have you ever been in love? Like, real love? Not the stupid crush where you want to stick your tongue in their mouth but the kind of love where you want to wake up next to that special someone?"

The boy laughed in the other line. "Hey, Karma, I think you need to get your head checked. You're basically babbling to yourself and worse, I think you're in love."

She shook her head. "Love at first sight, I guess."

He let out a _hmph_. When Karma couldn't take it anymore, she hung up on him and tried to write again. The music came back slowly, trickling back into the surface of her brain. She could hear it, the tune and the melody and the sadness. It took quite a while for her fingers to start working again and by the time it did, she was spewing out more lyrics and words. She had to say that she liked this new song better. Maybe it was because of the raw pain behind it or maybe it was because a certain someone had finally given her the groove she needed.

**AMY **

Karma didn't come back for the next few days.

Amy hated the fact that she was waiting for her. Even Shane could see the self-loathing that had filled her thoughts and work. She barely talked during work and when she did, it was usually a mumble. Every time she heard that someone had ordered the same drink Karma had, she felt hope flaring up in her insides. Maybe Karma had walked in without her looking but once Amy turned and saw that a fifteen year old boy had ordered the drink, she resisted the urge to throw the cup at his face.

She tried to think about other things while she worked; like this new TV series she was watching but it didn't help with the fact that she kept imagining watching it with Karma. Damn. What the hell had happened to her? She barely knew the girl and here she was, wiping tables and moping about the fact that she wasn't here. Amy didn't like to think about the ache inside her chest when she thought of auburn hair and bright eyes and music and even her own workplace. She wished there was some other way to make sure that the pain wouldn't consume her but she guessed that she had to live with it like it was a normal occurrence which it wasn't. A girl named Karma who made her feel like she was falling wasn't a normal occurrence. She liked to think of it as a once in a lifetime opportunity.

When Friday came, Amy was pretty sure that today would be another normal occurrence. The usual customers were sitting at their tables, chatting idly and working on their laptops. Shane was working at the counter and Amy was yet again wiping tables and throwing away cups. Friday was always a busy day and she was bustling over one table to the next, throwing in a few casual, "Here's your drink" or "How's your day." She couldn't let the customers see that she was basically hating every one of them for not being the Karma Ashcroft she wanted. That would not do well with the tips.

The sound of a door opening made her tear her gaze away from a couple who was displaying way too much PDA. When she raised her face and brushed away strands of blonde hair from her vision, she froze. _Fuck. Fuck. _She nearly dropped her tray when she realized that her prayers had been answered and Karma Ashcroft was here.

Shane was the first person who said hi. Amy hid her face by ducking low. She didn't need Karma to see that her face was burning. Hell, she didn't even want to see it herself. She focused on the couple again but she was acutely aware of footsteps against the wooden floor and the sudden smell of something organic. She heard voices, Shane's and hers. She hadn't really heard Karma's voice before but it was soothing and soft. The kind of voice you'd want to come home to. _Shut the hell up, Amy_, she told herself fiercely. She didn't want either Shane or Karma to know that she was thinking like this.

"The usual?" Shane asked.

"Yeah." Karma said the word casually. Amy took note of the fact that she was a 'yeah' person instead of the 'yes' kind. _Crap. _If Amy could mentally slap herself, she would. She'd probably be bruising a big red welt on her face if she had.

She probably looked stupid standing there so when the couple stood up and headed to the door, she quickly hurried to their table, cleaning off any water marks. She put the cups on her tray and before she could throw them away, she made herself take a breather first. It wouldn't do well if she walked pass by Karma's table looking breathless and scared. No, she needed to make sure that it wasn't obvious she had been thinking about Karma for the past few days. She needed to make sure that she shouldn't care.

She tried to stop her fingers from shaking as she walked towards the trash can. She felt as if somebody was staring at her, burning holes into her spine. She shivered instinctively and just as she was about to turn away, she heard Shane calling out for her. Hiding her face using her hair, she headed to the counter.

"Thin mint frappuchino," he said and he gave her a smirk when he noticed the look on her face. "Now's your chance, Raudenfeld. Go get some ass!"

"Shut up, shut up," Amy mumbled furiously. She took the drink, inhaled deeply and turned around.

**KARMA**

Karma was still debating if it had been a bad idea to come here. She felt as if somebody was watching her but whenever she looked around, everybody was doing their own business. Including Amy. The other girl was working as usual and it made Karma sad to know that she wasn't getting a reaction. _Stupid,_ Karma told herself. What did she expect? For Amy to jump around and announce to the world that she had been waiting for her? That only happened in movies and only the best kind.

Her heart rate accelerated when Amy turned from the counter, all smiles and bright green eyes. Karma realized that she had been staring blankly at her and now that her head had finally snapped back to reality, tried to keep her hands from shaking. The blonde barista approached just as she was pulling her notebook out of her bag.

"Back again?" Amy said, placing her order in front of her.

Karma almost forgot to breathe. She looked down once, inhaled sharply and raised her gaze. Amy was staring at her, lips curled at both sides. Her eyes were very pretty and somehow, Karma felt pained again, like last night and the other night before and so on and so forth. Shane was wrong; she was here now but the pain hadn't faded; in fact, when she looked at Amy's face, it seemed to intensify.

"Yeah," Karma said, swallowing the lump in her throat, "Favorite place in the world."

"Really? Is it because of the drinks?" Amy asked.

"Maybe," Karma answered, reaching out to grab her drink. She sipped it gingerly. "I'm Karma, by the way."

Amy put down her tray and stretched out her hand. Karma nearly dropped her cup.

"I'm Amy," the other girl said, smiling that brilliant little smile of hers, "It's nice to meet you."

Karma had to tell herself to keep breathing. She looked down at their clasped hands and Amy must've seen the look of indecision on her face because she quickly let go. A nagging voice inside Karma was starting to say No no it's okay but another one-the one with the logic and brains- squashed it relentlessly.

"Hope to see you around," Amy said casually and left before Karma could take another breath.

**AMY**

_Crap. Fuck. Shit. Damn._ All kinds of profanities filled Amy's thoughts as she headed back to the counter. Her heart was pounding and it made her chest hurt. She felt as if a huge invisible hand had taken hold of her body and was squeezing, squeezing so hard that she couldn't even dare to breathe. She glanced up at Shane who was looking at her curiously and she forced herself to breathe through her mouth, even though everything hurt.

"You okay there, Raudenfeld?" he asked.

"Fine." She waved him off.

"Okay then." He gave her one last look before hurrying to get an order for a customer.

Amy tried. She tried not to pass by Karma's table. She tried not to listen to her humming. She tried not to watch her when she didn't have anything else to do. She tried so hard to pretend that she wasn't there that it made her notice her even more. She remembered the look on the other girl's face when they had shaken hands. Was it disdain? Repulsion? Confusion? Whatever it was, it had stabbed Amy right through the heart. What had she been thinking? Did she really believe that Karma wanted to see her? She was nothing compared to this beautiful auburn haired girl who made her chest hurt and her toes curl.

An hour had passed. Karma hadn't budged from her seat. Amy was getting anxious. What was she waiting for? Maybe she had a date and got stood up. No. That wasn't right. What kind of guy would make Karma wait? If it had been Amy, she would've been here an hour early. _Stop fantasizing, Raudenfeld_¸ she scolded herself angrily, _It's never going to happen. _No matter what she did, Karma was no-no. She just had to drill it into her head somehow.

Shane was giving Amy more looks now. It became so unbearable that she dragged her feet towards him.

"_What_?" she demanded hotly.

"Stop staring!" he hissed, his voice a tone quieter than usual, "You're reminding me of a long lost puppy who forgot where its mother is."

"That's easy for you to say," Amy murmured, "Have you ever been in love before?"

Shane pressed his lips together. "Honey, don't go down that road. Love is a harsh and cruel thing, especially when he's bisexual. Anyway, you've got to minimize _this_." He gestured to her face, at the sad and yearning looks and the mouth where all the desperate things she wanted to say stayed.

"I'm new at this," she mumbled. Looking around, she saw that no customers were heading their way. Everybody seemed contented and Karma was sitting in her usual seat, scribbling all over notebook. Amy's heart was pounding. She knew it'd be crazy to ask but she just had to.

"How do you—" She took a deep breath and glanced down so that Shane wouldn't see her red cheeks. "I can't believe I'm asking this but how do you get someone to notice you?"

Shane grinned. "Well—"

**KARMA**

"—you need to get to know him first of all," Shane was saying.

Karma's heart felt as if it was being squeezed to death. She could hear Amy and Shane talking about something; Amy's voice was low and soft so it was painful to not being to hear anything from her. As for Shane, well, he was always the loud one so his best at trying to be quiet was actually just moderate in volume.

Karma wasn't proud to say that she had looked at Amy more than at her notebook. It had been torture to glance at her every now and then while trying to come up with things to say, like "How are you doing?" or "Everything okay?" Worse, she seemed to be the reason lyrics were starting to pour from her pen. The song she had come up with was starting to sound like a ballad somebody from Les Miserables might sing. _That_ showed her that it was bad. Shane was right. She had it bad.

Snippets of their conversation was flowing through her ears. Well, Shane's part of the conversation anyway. From what she could hear, Amy was asking for advice on some guy. Karma's shoulders fell. _Some guy_. Not a girl. Definitely not her, anyway.

"But before you can say that you're head over heels in love with him, you have to make sure that he's your type. My type are usually broad shouldered cute guys who work at bars and flirts with everybody. Including gay guys. Amazing right?" Shane laughed. Amy said something and he sobered. _Damn this one way conversation, _Karma thought helplessly. If they looked right now, they would've been able to see that she wasn't actually writing anymore. If a person was writing, their pen would be moving. And Karma's was stone still.

"Raudenfeld, I feel so bad for you right now," Shane said, voice dripping with concern. "You're like a little girl who just suddenly found herself in a world full of adults in a blink of an eye."

Karma smiled to herself. She felt that way too. Especially now, when her chest was twisted and her toes were curled.

Shane continued, "I fell in love in third grade. He was the hottest guy in school and he was filthy rich and nice to everybody and loved art. Oh, his name was Liam Booker. Well, he found out and we crossed that bridge. He wasn't into guys though but we were great friends. _That's _the kind of friendship everybody needs. Not the kind where you're friends one day and complete strangers in the next. Nobody needs to know that love ruins relationships."

Karma frowned. Sure, she knew about Shane having a crush on Liam but what the hell were they talking about? What was Amy saying? She wished she knew because she had a feeling that if she did, the knot in her chest would untwist itself and everything would be okay.

**AMY**

"Liam Booker?" Amy scowled. "He sounds pretentious."

Shane slapped her arm lightly and laughed. "Shut up, you didn't know him."

"And I don't want to." Amy glanced over at Karma who was in the same position she had been before. There was something odd going on here but she decided not to pursue it. She was already tired by the day's work. She didn't need to be chasing after fruitless theories about the way Karma was sitting.

Shane sighed audibly and ran a finger against the table. "Stop staring," he whispered.

"I'm not," Amy growled, "I'm just glancing every now and then."

"Which leads to staring and then hopeless longing and then fantasizing about the marriage you're going to have." Shane sounded like a teacher scolding a student for getting the wrong answer on a math test. Amy didn't know if she was glad that she had him to help her out.

"Do you think I'm hopeless?" she asked.

Shane gave her an exasperated look. "I think you're adorable, Raudenfeld."

Amy smirked. _If only Karma thought the same. _

"By the way." Shane threw a tissue paper at her, returning the smirk, "We've got work to do, bitch."

**KARMA**

Karma was aware that she had been sitting there for nearly two hours now. The back of her thighs hurt and her butt was sore. All in all, she had managed to write about three verses for a song nobody was ever going to hear. She wondered if wannabe singers felt the same way like she did. She glanced over at the counter where Shane was entertaining a customer but her eyes weren't seeking him. She sought for Amy. She didn't know if she felt better when she looked at the other girl or she felt worse when she didn't. Her new found feelings for the cute barista was making her chest twist more and more each time.

By the time it was four, Karma decided that she had to go. She needed to get away from this place. She wanted to get away from the knives in her heart, the knives Amy herself had put in, whether or not she knew it. She stood up, got her things and waved at Shane who smiled at her. When she turned to look away, she caught Amy's gaze on her. Sometimes, when the other girl looked at her, Karma always felt as if she was falling from a cliff or burning up in flames or being drowned without even getting a breath of fresh air. Did love always have to hurt? she wondered. Did affection always have to dance with pain?

It didn't help with the fact that Amy gave her a smile so bright that it hurt to look.

**AMY**

"Straight people are so stiff," Shane said, watching as a guy practically ran away from the counter.

Amy had to force herself not to laugh. She and Shane were in the same situation, after all. It didn't help with the fact that Karma was now a regular and Amy had basically caved in to the idea of flirting. Well, one sided flirting. She knew that Karma was straight, after all. All she had to was sprinkle a bit of affection to her words more than usual, adding nicknames like _honey_ or _sugarbear_. If Karma didn't give her that brilliant smile of hers every time she did, Amy would've shot herself in the head already.

"At least he didn't tell you to fuck off," Amy said lightly.

"Don't be so fucking cocky, Raudenfeld," Shane said, rolling his eyes, "Just because the love of your life hasn't cringed away in disgust doesn't mean you can get your head up in your ass."

"Maybe you should check _your_ ass," Amy shot back relentlessly, "Some hooker might've left something behind."

Shane let out a shocked gasp and Amy dodged away from the straw he threw at her face. She picked it up after her laughter had died down. Shane was glaring at her coldly and she tried to say an apology but he raised a hand.

"Save it," he said, "At least you're funny now."

He stalked off. Amy grinned and out of habit, glanced over at Karma. To her surprise, the auburn haired girl was staring right at her. Her eyes widened and Amy groped for words to say. Time seemed to freeze until Amy was pretty sure the world had stopped and stared at them both the same way they had. A fiery fist seemed to grip her heart tight. Her chest was warm and buzzing, like a fire crackling in the dead of night but it also hurt, looking at her like this, making her feel like she was about to die or something. So she looked away pointedly, trying to stop her cheeks from flaring up.

She was pretty sure that Karma's gaze never left hers though.

**KARMA**

Karma didn't know if she should change her name and move to Canada.

She visited Starbucks every day now. She talked to Amy every day now. She was falling in love every day now.

She didn't mean for this to happen. At first, she had thought of it as attraction to the same sex, a lesbian phase that she would overcome but it wasn't, it was more than that actually. She found herself wanting to get to know this cute blonde barista who had suddenly appeared into her life and seemed intent to break every inch of her. She wanted to walk up to her and ask if she minded watching a movie together. She wanted to hold her hand and draw hearts on her skin. She wanted to wake up one day and see the blonde curls all messed up and green eyes full of sleep. God, she didn't want to say it but she had to.

She wanted Amy Raudenfeld.

The pain was constant now, always changing. Whenever she was at school, listening to lectures all day, there would always be a dull ache inside her chest but after classes, when she was in her usual seat at Starbucks, the pain would flare and then die down and flare up again, always moving, always causing her agony. It didn't help with the fact that Amy had taken to calling her honey or sugarbear. God, did she want Karma to suffer? Because if she did, she was doing a great job.

_Crap. _Today, Amy had been joking with Shane about a guy who practically fled from their sights. Karma had watched Amy laugh. She had a cute laugh, sort of sarcastic around the edges but a laugh nonetheless. Karma found herself wanting to hear that laugh more. She was so busy staring at her that she hadn't realized that the other girl had seen her. Panic gripped her throat tight. _Fucking hell_, she thought to herself. _Busted. _She waited for Amy to say something, for repulsion and anger to fill her features. Instead, her cheeks turned red and she looked away. Karma had been so stunned that she didn't look away. She spent the rest of the afternoon trying to catch her gaze but the other girl seemed determined to ignore her.

It felt like a slap to the face.

**AMY**

"I can't stand this anymore," Amy finally said to Shane the next day. It was bright and early. The sun was shining up in the clouds. The birds were chirping and singing. The first round of customers were just streaming in. And Amy's heart was going to burst out of her chest.

Shane regarded her fondly. "Did you smoke some meth this morning? You look like shit."

And she did. She had been tossing and turning the night before. The image of Karma's surprised face was burned in the back of her eyelids. She was pretty sure that the other girl was wondering why Amy had looked at her. Endless thoughts and theories had been forming in Amy's head by the time it was five a.m. and she had to get to work. Why had Karma been staring at her? Why didn't she look disgusted or at least, shocked? Did it mean something? They were useless questions, questions that nobody had the answer to. Well, maybe Karma but Amy couldn't talk to her about that yet.

But that was where Shane came along.

"I'm going to ask Karma out," she said breathlessly.

Shane would've dropped his phone if he hadn't been so frozen. He gaped soundlessly at her, the shock written all over his face. Amy would've reveled in his reaction if she hadn't been so terrified at her own words.

"Are you serious?" A grin broke out. Amy sighed in relief.

"Yes, but I'm going to need your help," she told him feverishly. A few customers were starting to come in but Amy ignored them. Shane was looking at her as if she just dropped from the sky. Her hands shook at her sides.

"What changed your mind, exactly?" he asked.

Amy shrugged. It was hard to explain, actually. She had only thought of Karma as a passing distraction, somebody whom she was attracted to at her workplace. She hadn't realized that she would fall for her, hard. She never believed that anybody could fall for someone through their Starbucks order or through the way they tapped their fingers against a table or through the way they sung their songs under their breaths.

"Never mind that," Shane said, sounding excited. His dark eyes shone. "Okay, what do I have to do?"

"That's what I wanted to ask," she said.

Shane pursed his lips. He tilted his head to the side and thought about it. Amy waited nervously. The other baristas were already starting to notice that they were slacking off. She didn't need any trouble today so she nudged Shane when he didn't say anything.

"Hey," she mumbled.

"Don't worry," he finally stated, giving her a warm smile, "I'll handle it."

**KARMA**

Something was different. She could feel it.

Classes ended late. By the time it was 4:30, she was hurrying across the street towards Starbucks. Even from the glass window, Amy's blonde hair was unmistakable. She felt guilty somehow. She usually came here early but they had a quiz and she really needed to ace it. She didn't even know why she was feeling guilty; it wasn't like Amy was waiting for her. The thought saddened her considerably.

When she entered the café, Shane's head snapped forward. Realizing that she was finally here, he grinned and mouth "_The usual?" _She nodded and walked over to her table. She could feel her skin burning and her chest twisting tighter. For the past few days, her chest had been in constant pain, always constricted. Whenever she came here, it either loosened or tightened. Today, it tightened. _Damn_.

Her song was already finished but she liked to reread the lyrics over and over again. It never got old somehow. Besides, she needed to look like she was doing something. Having Amy know that she was secretly stalking her was something she didn't need right now. Amy. Where was she anyway? Karma frowned. It didn't take long for her order to come. Something must've been holding her up.

Karma glanced over her shoulder. To her shock, Amy was busy entertaining somebody else, a guy the same age as she was and who was currently checking her out. Her chest tightened more when she saw that Shane was the one bringing _her_ order. Was the world flipping out or something? Did something happen while she was gone? If her mother were here, she would say that the pop quiz had somehow ruined her chances and had shaped some major cosmic shift in her calendar.

Shane passed her the thin mint frappuchino. Karma took it glumly, glancing sullenly over at Amy.

"Well, don't look so happy to see me," Shane remarked bluntly, taking a seat across her table.

_Now I know what's different_, she thought. She tried to force a smile.

"Sorry, it's just college life you know. All that crap."

Shane held out a hand, looking peevish. "Save it. I know why that frown isn't turning upside down."

Karma froze. Oh God, did he know? If he did, could he have possibly told Amy? No, he wasn't that cruel. He always boasted of having gay support to everybody out there, swearing upon his honor when she told him secrets. But she didn't like the way he was looking at her right now, as if she knew something she didn't. It made her feel self-conscious.

"You know, you should just really ask Amy out," he said.

_Crap. Holy crap. Holy mother load of crap. _Karma's mouth dropped open.

"It's okay," Shane assured him, the smile from his face never fading, "She actually came to me and asked me to talk to you for her. She's kind of had a crush on you too, you know."

_Is he serious?_ Karma searched his face for any mischief or anything that could tell her that he was lying. Except for the smile, he looked dead serious. Her heart pounded rather painfully inside her chest and it was all she could do not to faint right there. She was also pretty sure that her ears were pink. She glanced around fervently, trying to avoid his hard and impenetrable gaze. If he was telling the truth, then that meant that Amy had been flirting with her for the past few days. _Oh God, _she thought, mildly horrified. How could she be so blind?

Some part of her wanted to stand up and ask Amy on a date like right now but the other part of her was just so shell shocked that she remained on her chair, still frozen. Shane took her shock as repulsion. His eyes widened considerably and he leaned back, his mouth dropping open slightly.

"Do—er, you _do _like her back right? I mean, you've been staying here for like two weeks now. Don't get me wrong, I'm not an idiot or anything but I'm not a genius. Damn it, Karma, tell me I'm right or I swear on my fucking ass that—"

"Shane!" Karma snapped out of her daze. She reached out and took his hands. A goofy smile spread across her face. She couldn't help it. The pain in her chest was loosening and she felt elated. "It's okay. You're right. I do like her back and I was too scared to say anything."

Shane's smile returned. "Okay then. I'm going to help you out on that part."

**AMY**

Amy was looking at Shane when he came back from Karma's table.

"Well?" she asked impatiently. She was too scared to ask straight ahead. She had watched their exchange from the corner of her eye but hadn't been able to hear anything. Thousands of questions had popped up when Karma had started laughing and Shane's voice started getting louder. _What did he say? Is she angry? Why does he look like he's about to die from panic? _Her heart pounded more and more painfully inside her chest as she kept watching. When Shane stood up and strode towards her, the urge to jump up and demand to know answers was overwhelming.

Shane just gave her a lazy smirk. "You'll get your answer soon enough."

It was torture, trying to work while still being conscious of Karma's presence. She felt pissed off, cheated because of Shane. She wanted to know what Karma had said, what _he_ had said. Did he say that Amy was a stalker who liked to watch her when she wasn't looking? The possibilities were endless and it made her feel jumpy and stressed.

When Karma stood up and left the café, Amy was half tempted to run after her but she couldn't. She was rooted to her workplace, whether or not she liked it. Shane just looked at her all smug when she let out a low guttural groan that basically everybody could hear. She _hated_ not knowing what was going on through Karma's head. It made her want to rip out someone's heart out, like what the bad guys did when they were pissed off in movies.

8:00 o'clock rolled around and they finally had to close. Shane locked the front door after they shut all the lights out and cleaned the dishes. Amy was jumpy all the time. They said goodbye to their other baristas and walked down the road leading to their houses. Amy pulled out her phone, checking the time and trying to stop herself from flinging it across the ground.

"Stop looking so desperate," Shane told her.

"What did you tell her?" Amy demanded hotly.

He just shrugged. "Don't worry, Raudenfeld. She'll come around. Either tomorrow or next year. She'll come around."

She groaned. Hate filled her thoughts. What did Karma think of her now?

Shane found a taxi. He got inside and waved goodbye at her. Forcing a smile, Amy waved. Then she returned to her treacherous walk, all alone with her thoughts. She was thinking about the way Karma smiled, all teeth and bright eyes. It was almost like looking at the sun after walking in a snowy landscape for centuries. Amy wondered what would happen next. Would she come back tomorrow? Would Amy ever see her again?

Her phone rang. It was probably Shane, coming to check up on her but when she pulled it out of her pocket and saw that it was an unknown Caller ID, hope and fear mingled inside her chest.

"Hello?"

There was a hesitant voice in the other line. Amy stopped walking. "Is this Amy?"

_Fuck_. It was Karma. She'd recognize that voice anymore.

"Yeah." Amy's voice sounded weak to her own ears.

"Uhm, Shane gave me this number by the way. I hope I didn't scare you but he told me a lot of things today and I just wanted to be sure. Oh, crap." She was like a dam bursting to let go and Amy was ready to drown. "I don't want to creep you out or anything but I—shit, I'm really sorry if you're freaked out or anything. I just really wanted to talk. You and I have been—uhm—" She laughed nervously "—I don't even know what we are but—I can't—I can't even talk right now—"

"It's okay!" Amy cut in gently. She heard Karma inhale sharply. Her heart was practically bursting inside her chest. She smiled. _Thank you Shane Harvey_. "It's okay, Karma."

There was silence. Amy's fingers twisted a strand of blonde hair nervously.

"Do you want to go to a movie sometime?" Karma's voice was breathless, as if she'd been running.

Amy licked her lips and closed her eyes. _Thank you, Starbucks. _

"Sure, I've been wanting to hear that song of yours."

She could hear Karma's smile through the silence that followed.


End file.
